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hurt

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noun

hurt

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hurt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hurt are damage, harm, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When can damage be used instead of hurt?

Although the words damage and hurt have much in common, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When might harm be a better fit than hurt?

The words harm and hurt can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When could impair be used to replace hurt?

The words impair and hurt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When would injure be a good substitute for hurt?

While in some cases nearly identical to hurt, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When is mar a more appropriate choice than hurt?

While the synonyms mar and hurt are close in meaning, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hurt
Noun
And according to both infidelity experts, the short-term temptations can easily overshadow the long-term fallout of hurting your partner, jeopardizing your career, and perhaps ending up on a Jumbotron moment that lives online forever. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 July 2025 Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
Adjective
Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 June 2025 But with Luke Weaver hurt, Williams is back in the role. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hurt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurt
Verb
  • Tears falling down a face like rain pulled by gravity, slowly building into a downpour—that raw, aching emotion sits at the core of Givēon’s artistry.
    Malik Peay, Essence, 11 July 2025
  • These also can result in worsening pain with activity, aching and swelling.
    Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Shooting comes 3 years after another incident The July 25 shooting comes less than three years after another fatal attack at a University of New Mexico housing building left one student dead and three campus visitors injured.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 July 2025
  • Officials said the victim had broken bones and lacerations, but neither the victim’s boyfriend nor the dog were injured.
    Gershon Harrell, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • The Oscar winner has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series about grieving therapist Jimmy (Segel) since its premiere in 2023.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 15 July 2025
  • Some endure long journeys through illness, others face the shock of an instant tragedy, and some grieve companions with paws instead of words.
    Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • Extreme heat can also be an obstacle to exercising, spending time in nature, and socializing, all of which can make people feel good and also double as important coping mechanisms for emotional distress.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 26 July 2025
  • Phillips hid the pregnancy and acted under extreme emotional distress, citing financial struggles and homelessness at the time, her lawyer said.
    Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Experts say the false rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration creates real harm.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025
  • Under Vera’s order, Los Angeles police are banned from using chemical irritants, and flash-bangs against journalists who do not pose a threat of imminent harm to an officer or another person.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • This is unjust, and this injustice has genuinely pained me.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
  • One of the cost-saving measures that pained both performers and fans that year was opting to perform the iconic holiday show without the live performance by the Louisville Orchestra.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Sure, the game was marred by former commissioner Bud Selig declaring the 2002 edition a tie.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • The production Chosen had early in his career for the New York Jets and then with a 1,000-yard season for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 was marred by two arrests within a year between 2018 and 2019.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurt. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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